S E P T E MB E R 2 0 1 1

Y E A R 5 , I S S U E 1 F R E E
I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E
The Toledo Howler
Newspaper of the Toledo Chapter of the Belize Tourism Industry Association
Rachel Graham
Prize Award
1
Birding with Lee
Jones: The
Grackle
2
Tourism Awards
2010
2
Calendar of
Events
3
Restaurant
Guide
4
Wats Cookin?
4
Map of PG
6
BTIA Members
Listing
7
Archaeology:
Nim Li Punit
8
Yum Kax
Womens Group
9
Organic Garden-
ing in Toledo
11
Dem Dats Doin
12
Transport
Schedules
13
Arzu on Genipa
14
Southern Voices
Interview:
Leonie Requena
15
PG Library Lec-
ture Series
16
Map of Toledo
16

BTIAs distinctive octagonal Informa-
tion Center on Front street in Punta
Gorda. All you need to know about
Toledo is inside
Join BTIA and display your promotional
materials in the information center.
Join BTIA and make a difference.
Contact Toledo BTIA at the Tourism Information Center,
Front St., Punta Gorda Tel. 722-2531
E-mail btiatoledo@btl.net Chair: Chrisbel Perez
Secretary: Delonie Forman Treasurer: Dona Scafe
Contact The Howler Editorial Team
Tel. 722-2531 E-mail btiatoledo@btl.net. Features Editor: Marta
Hirons 732-4444 or marta@thelodgeaatbigfalls.com.
Advertising and Production Manager: Rob Hirons 732-4444/610-
0126 or rob@thelodgeatbigfalls.com
Shark Conservation Award
A marine
biologist from
Punta Gorda
is this years
winner of one
of the worlds
most prestig-
ious prizes
for grass-
roots nature
conservation:
the Whitley
Gold Award,
donated by
WWF-UK. The
Whitley
Awards
scheme is an
annual com-
petition, first
held in 1994. In the eighteen
years since the scheme began, it
has given grants worth more
than 6m to support the work of
inspirational conservation lead-
ers in seventy countries and built
a network of more than one hun-
dred and twenty Whitley alumni.
Dr Rachel T Graham, director of
the Wildlife Conservation Soci-
etys (WCS) Gulf and Caribbean
sharks and rays programme,
received her prize on 11 May
from HRH The Princess Royal
(Princess Anne) at the Royal
Geographical Society, London,
during a ceremony hosted by The
Whitley Fund for Nature (WFN) -
the UK-based charity behind the
international awards scheme.
The award recognizes her work
to implement a national action
plan for sharks and get more
local people actively involved in
protecting ocean wildlife and
coastal biodiversity, contributing
to the protection of local liveli-
hoods and Belizes economically
important tourism industry.
WFNs Director, Georgina Dom-
berger, says: "The judges were
tremendously impressed by Ra-
chel's twenty years of dedication
to shark conservation, her suc-
cess in winning legal protection
for whale sharks in Belizean
waters, and her innovative plans
to let schoolchildren, students,
planners and decision-makers
see sharks in the wild and ex-
perience undersea Belize at first
hand, so encouraging them to
become advocates of the marine
world.
Glyn Davies, WWF-UK's director
of programmes, says: "In WWF's
anniversary year it is tremen-
dous to be able to support Ra-
chel in her efforts to protect
shark populations in Belize. The
presence of these 'top predators'
maintains the diversity of the
entire reef ecosystem as well as
maintaining the star attractions
for the tourists who visit Belize's
beautiful reef."
To accompany the title and the
Whitley Gold Award 2011 trophy,
Dr Graham also wins project
funding worth BZ$200,000.
Belizes sharks are in rapid de-
cline, largely because of over-
fishing by non-Belizean fishing
fleets - to meet the demand for
white fish meat in Honduras and
Guatemala, and to supply shark
fins to Asia.
"Belizes marine life has a tire-
less champion in Rachel Gra-
ham, said Steven Sanderson,
WCS President and CEO. Her
twenty years
of conserva-
tion work is
turning the
tide for
sharks and
drawing
needed at-
tention to
protect these
magnificent
marine
predators.
John Robin-
son, WCS
Executive
Vice Presi-
dent for Con-
servation
and Science,
said, Rachel is a huge asset to
WCSs conservation efforts to
protect marine ecosystems
around the world. Her work
benefits one of the most pristine
marine regions in the Western
Hemisphere.
At the same ceremony Whitley
Awards worth around
BZ$100,000 each in project
funding went to six other conser-
vation leaders from Argentina,
Croatia, India, Indonesian Bor-
neo, Russia and Uzbekistan.
We will give Rachel the last word
who told her audience in her
acceptance speech that they
should go and seek out sharks
and rays and find out for your-
selves what incredible and mag-
nificent animals they are, and by
going to find them and seeking
them out you will actually be
helping a lot of local communi-
ties and showing them that a live
shark is worth far more than a
dead one.
Rachel is also a member of the
Toledo chapter of BTIA and
owner of the Blue Belize guest-
house on Front Street south of
the market. Congratulations and
thank you, Rachel.
2
Lee Jones: The Unappreciated Grackle
Quiscalus mexicanus, the Great-
tailed Grackle or simply
blackbird to most Creole-speaking
Belizeans is perhaps the most
maligned bird in all of Belize. Every-
one knows it; few appreciate it. It is
that ubiquitous neighborhood bird
with the glossy black plumage and
long oddly twisted tail feathers. No
one can argue that it has a way of
making itself known in the neighbor-
hood. Rooftop grackle fests at the
crack of dawn are legion. If you own
a house with a zinc roof, you know
exactly what I am talking about! If
you happen to live near their roost,
then you truly deserve my sympathy.
Grackles are communal. Every eve-
ning birds from near and far congre-
gate in large, raucous flocks at their
nightly roost, which in some places
can comprise several thousand
birds. For a real spectacle, visit Bat-
tlefield Park in Belize City at dusk.
But if you bring a companion with
you, dont expect to carry on a quiet
conversation. The sound of several
thousand grackles can be deafen-
ing. Oh, and youd better bring along
an old umbrella one you wont
mind discarding afterward.
During the day, grackles have other
ways of reminding you of their pres-
ence. Grackles are a constant
source of entertainment. If they are
not doing battle with the chickens,
tormenting the household cat, or
stealing food from your beloved
Fido, they are performing grackle
operettas on the clothesline,
the veranda, the utility line,
the hood of your truck, the
dead mango limb you keep
forgetting to trim. And, of
course, they always, always
leave behind a little token of
their appreciation. After all,
if it werent for grackles, how
would you ever know when
the mangos are ripe; that
you really dont need that
expensive alarm clock after
all? That without grackles Fido
might overeat and become horribly
obese? With grackles
around to entertain you,
you will never suffer the
unbearable silence of a
power outage in the mid-
dle of your neighbors im-
promptu rock concert.
Like it or not, grackles are
here to stay. They thrive in
the presence of humans.
You will never see a
grackle in the rainforest.
Grackles were a rare sight
at the corner of Humming-
bird and Western until hu-
mans decided to move their capital
there. They have taken up residence
on the most remote cayes. Why?
Because, wherever humans go, gar-
bage and grackles soon follow.
So, live with them you must. And
since you must, you might as well
learn to appreciate them. Really. If
you can get beyond the impulse to
plug every grackle within earshot
into the nearest light socket, you will
find that grackles are actually pretty
amazing birds. If you have never
watched two male grackles courting
the favor of a nearby female, you
have missed out on one of natures
great spectacles. Watch the two
males as they skypoint, heads
thrown back, tails pointing straight
down. Watch as they then lean for-
ward and bow politely while raising
the feathers on their back and
breast. Continue watching as their
posturing eventually degenerates
into bill-to-bill combat all while the
quite unspectacularly plumaged fe-
male (Im sure shes beautiful on
the inside) waits patiently nearby.
When it comes to avian linguistics,
few birds have a vocal repertoire
that exceeds that of the Great-tailed
Grackle. While all of their utterances
cannot be considered melodic by
any measure, some are truly impres-
sive. Sit and listen. Make note of as
many sounds as you can. Come
back again in a week or two and you
will add new grackle vocabulary to
your list. Try associating these
grackle utterances with various
grackle behaviors. Which sounds
are uttered only by the male? Which
ones are female exclusives? See if
you can identify those vocalizations
that are uttered only during court-
ship; while tormenting the cat; while
squabbling over dinner scraps; as
they scatter at the sudden appear-
ance of a large hawk. Do you hear
any vocal communications that you
would call a song? If so, which
ones? When youre done, ask your-
self, is language really the exclusive
domain of humans? Observe how
grackles communicate in non-vocal
ways. It has been said that as much
as 80 percent of human communi-
cation is through body language and
only 20 percent through the spoken
word. Despite all of its raucous vo-
calizing, could this also be true of
the Great-tailed Grackle
H. Lee Jones is based in Punta Gorda,
Toledo. He is the author of Birds of
Belize the definitive guide to birding in
Belize and the Annotated Checklist of
the Birds of Belize.
A number of Belize hotels and resorts
received Travelers Choice awards from
Trip Advisor the online travel review site
that were presented at the National
Tourism Awards ceremony in Belize City
in June 2011. The awards are based
on the number and quality of reviews
that accommodations receive.
Hickatee Cottages was honoured as
the seventh most popular Bed and
Breakfast in Central and South Amer-
ica. Hickatee Cottages were also a
finalist for the Best Small Hotel in Be-
lize and Bruno Kuppinger of Sun Creek
was a finalist for the Tour Guide of the
Year.
Hickatee Cottages has expanded in the
past year with addition of two new cot-
tages taking their total to six rooms.
Right: Owner Ian Morton relaxes on the
steps of Charlies Bar and the restau-
rant at Hickatee Cottages
Tourism Awards 2010
3
Date Event Venue / Time Other Info


9th Sept

Cultural Concert

Central Park, PG

Free

10th Sept
St Georges Caye Day Parade
Block Party
Bicycle Float

Central Park, PG
9am6pm

Free

20th Sept
Torch Light
Flag Raising Ceremony
Fireworks
Central Park
Venancia Petillo Park
8pm2am

Free

20th Sept
Family Entertainment Concert
Block Party
Central Park
8pm2am

Free

21st Sept
Independence Day Ceremony
Float
Central Park PG
912 noon


21 Sept

Block Party / Parade

Central Park PG
Noon6pm

28 Sept Library Lecture Series
Is the Past Present? Belize at 30, a
panel discussion of social issues facing
Belize before and after independence
(see page 16)
Parish Hall
9am-12pm
Free

7th Oct
TIDE Weekend
Seafood Gala: buffet with wine /Coolie Re-
bels Band

Starts 7pm
For more info: 722-2274/
722-2431
Tickets $50
Semi formal


8th Oct
TIDE Weekend
Youth Conservation Competition, entertain-
ment & music.
Cyrilias Chocolates Tour
Blue Creek Caving, swim & barbeque

Starts 7pm

Entrance $5

$45 pp
$50 pp

9th Oct
TIDE Weekend
Fish Fest: fishing tournament, cycling race,
kayaking, games for kids, etc. Music by DJ
Fresh

TIDE Compound
Starts 10am


10th Oct
TIDE Weekend
Snorkeling Tour of West Snake Caye
Rio Blanco Waterfall Picnic

$75 pp
$45 pp

12th Nov

Battle of the Drums

Sports Complex, PG / 7:30pm

$15 pp

28-29 Oct

Organic Fair
(See article Page 11)

Central Park, PG

Calendar of Events
The Lodge at Big Falls
Autumn Specials now available!
NEW Phone: 732-4444 / 610-0126
Email: info@thelodgeatbigfalls.com



Relax Rediscover
Renew
Refresh
4
Restaurant Guide
Name Address Cuisine Phone Opening Hours
Colemans Cafe
Big Falls Village, near the
rice mill
Belizean

720-2017
Daily: 11:30- 4pm & 6- 9pm [ Res-
ervations Preferred ]
Earth Runnins Caf and
Bukut Bar
Main Middle Street, PG
Belizean/
International
702-2007
600-9026
Wed-Sun: 7am-2pm & 5-11pm

Fajina Firehearth Food Front St, PG Local Mayan Food 666-6144
MonSat: 7am7:30pm. Closed on
Sundays
Gomiers Restaurant and
Soy Centre
Alejandro Vernon St, near
PG Welcome sign
Local & international
vegetarian / Seafood
722-2929
Mon-Sat: 8am-2pm & 6-9pm.
Closed Sundays
Graces Restaurant Main St. PG
Belizean/ Interna-
tional
702-2414 Daily: 6am-10pm, including holidays
Hang Cheong
Restaurant
Main St, PG Chinese 722-2064 Daily: 10am-2pm & 5pm-midnight
The Lodge at Big Falls
Big Falls Village, near the
rice mill
International/ Beliz-
ean/ Middle Eastern
732-4444

Daily: 11:30am 2pm & 6:30
9pm [ Reservations Required ]
Machaca Hill Lodge Wilsons Road
Pan Central Ameri-
can and International
722-0050
Lunch: noon-2:30pm. Dinner: 7:30-
10pm. [Reservations preferred]
Mangrove Restaurant
Cattle Landing, by the
curve
Belizean / Interna-
tional
722-2270
Daily: 5pm-10pm. [Reservations
preferred]
Marians Bay View Restau-
rant
Front St, south of the mar-
ket by the sea
East Indian/ Belizean 722-0129
Mon-Sat: 11am 2pm & 6 10pm
Sun & Hols: noon 2pm & 7 - 9pm
Martinas Kitchen BTL parking lot, PG Belizean 623-3330
Mon-Sat: 7am-3pm. Closed on Sun-
days
Moms Restaurant Queen St, PG, by the park Belizean
620-1607
661-1359
MonSat: 6 am2 pm &
49 pm Closed Sundays
Rainbow Cafe Queen St, PG, by the park Belizean 631-2309
MonSat: 7am2pm. Closed on
Sundays
Rainforest Cafe
Big Falls Village, just south
of the bridge
Belizean 669-0080 Daily: 10am10pm
Reef Bar & Restaurant
Front St, upstairs by the
market
International/
Belizean
625-8652
Daily: 10am-2pm & 4pm-midnight.
Closed on Tuesdays
Shos Local Restaurant
Entrance to Blue Creek
Village
Belizean/ Catering 668-6540
Mon-Sat: 7am8pm. Closed Sun-
days. Group reservations required
The Snack Shack BTL parking lot, PG
Breakfast & lunch/
Snacks, shakes,
juices & pastries
702-0020
Mon-Sat: 7am 3pm. Closed Sun-
days
Walucos

Opposite TIDE pier in
Hopeville
Belizean/East In-
dian/Seafood/
Catering
670-3672
Mon-Thurs: 7am-2pm & 5-10pm.
Weekends: 7am-late
Wats Cookin?
Chicken Satay with Peanut Butter
Sauce
One of the interesting aspects of Indonesian cuisine is
that it uses many of the same ingredients that are
available down here in Toledo. Shared ingredients
include coconut, lime, ginger, tamarind, pineapple,
lemon grass and lime leaves and a number of spices.
This satay recipe is delicious.
Ingredients for Satay
10oz pork tenderloin or chicken breast
I medium onion finely grated
1.5 teaspoons of finely grated fresh ginger
2 teaspoons of sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground chili paste
1 teaspoon ground coriander
2 tablespoons thick coconut milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin (for pork only)
Ingredients for Peanut sauce
1 cup of crunchy peanut butter
1 tablespoon of ground chili paste
1 tablespoon of sugar
1 tablespoon of light soy sauce
1/4 cup of water
1/2 cup of thick coconut milk
1/2 teaspoon of lemon grass powder
1/2 teaspoon of ground coriander
Pinch of yellow ginger (turmeric) and salt
Method
1. Mix the satay ingredients and place in a bowl.
2. Cut the pork or chicken into small cubes about
3/4 square and add to the other ingredients and
mix well.
3. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and and set aside
for at least an hour or place in the refrigerator
overnight.
4. Place the peanut butter sauce ingredients in a
small saucepan and bring to the boil. Reduce to a
very low heat and simmer for five minutes.
5. Thread the meat onto several wooden skewers
and grill over charcoal or a lightly oiled comal
6. Serve with the warm peanut butter sauce, rice and
whatever vegetables you like.
Contributed by The Lodge at Big Falls and a regular
favourite on their menus.
5
6
BTIA Toledo Welcomes
New Members in 2011
Membership in BTIA
Toledo has grown in the
past year and during that
time we have welcomed:

The Dreamlight Com-
puter Centre
Yum Kax Womens
Group in Indian Creek
village
How Do I Join BTIA?
Visit www.btia.org to read
about BTIA and all the
membership benefits and
to download an applica-
tion form. Complete the
form and hand it in to
Roberto Coh at the Tour-
ism Information Center on
Front St.
BTIA meets monthly at the
Tourism Information Cen-
ter on Front Street. Be a
part of BTIA and make a
practical contribution to
the economic develop-
ment of Toledo District.
7
B T I A T O L E D O ME MB E R S 2 0 1 1
Business Name Email Phone Contact Person
Belize Crafts Ltd, Maya Bags belizeexecutivedirector@mayabags.org 722-2175 Desiree Arnold
Beya Suites info@beyasuites.com 722-2188 Lisa Avila
Blue Belize Guest House & Tours info@bluebelize.com 722-2678 Rachel Graham
Coral House Inn coralhousebelize@yahoo.com 722-2878 Rick & Darla Mallory
Cotton Tree Lodge chris@cottontreelodge.com 670-0557 Chris Crowell
Chrisbel Perez cuxlinha@live.com 630-7673 Chris Perez
Cuxlin Ha Retirement Village cuxlinha@hotmail.com 732-4747 Dona Lee Scafe
Dem Dats Doin demdatsdoin@btl.net 722-2470 Yvonne Villoria
Dreamlight Computer Center dreamlightpg@yahoo.com 722-0113 Tim Dami
Fajina Craft Center of Belize fajina.craft.center@gmail.com 666-6141 Candelaria Pop
Garbutts Marine Investment Co. garbuttsmarine@yahoo.com 604-3548 Dennis Garbutt
Hickatee Cottages cottages@hickatee.com 662-4475 Ian & Kate Morton
The Lodge at Big Falls info@thelodgeatbigfalls.com 732-4444/610-0126 Marta & Rob Hirons
Machaca Hill Lodge info@machacahill.com 722-0050 Shirley Mae Parham
Maya Ant and Bee Group mayaantandbee@gmail.com 662-1139 Ofelia Cal
Requena's Charter Service watertaxi@btl.net 722-2070 Leonie Requena
Romeros Charter Service rcharters@btl.net 722-2625/2924 Francis Romero
Scotia Bank roxanna.aleman@scotiabank.com 722-0098/0099 Roxanna Aleman
The Sea Front Inn larry@seafrontinn.com 722-2300 Larry & Carol Smith
Seiko Vieira seikovieira7@gmail.com 665-5394 Seiko Vieira
Sun Creek Lodge suncreek@hughes.net 600-8773/614-2080 Bruno Kuppinger
TIDE Tours info@tidetours.org 722-2129 Delonie Forman
Toledo Eco-Tourism Association teabelize@googlemail.com 702-2119 Vicente Sackul / Reyes Chun
Toledo Tour Guides Association ttgabze@gmail.com 660-3974 Dennis Garbutt
Tranquility Lodge info@tranquility-lodge.com 677-9921 Sheila & Rusty Nale
Tumul Kin Center of Learning tumulkin_tourism@yahoo.com 608-1070 Rosemary Salam
Yum Kax Womens Group 604-0688/635-9952 Mercedes Choc, Concepciona Coc
Beware!!
The asp or puss moth cat-
erpillar (left) must never be
touched. The fur contains
venomous spines which
are extremely painful. The
adult moth megalopyge
opercularis above.
8
Archaeology: Nim Li Punit
Toledo is often called the
Forgotten District. But this was
not always the case. The inland
hills of Toledo are dotted with an-
cient Maya sites. Five of these
Pusilha, Uxbenka, Lubaantun, Xna-
heb, and Nim li Punitcontain both
impressive stone architecture and
multiple examples of carved sculp-
ture containing Maya hieroglyphs.
These monuments discuss the his-
tory of the inhabitants of the district
from roughly A.D. 400 to 800, peo-
ple who at the time of the Spanish
conquest were called the Manche
Chol. For the archaeologists who
can read these monuments, the
ancient Manche Chol of Toledo Dis-
trict are no longer forgotten.
Nim li Punit, situated above Indian
Creek Village, is one of the most
visited and easily accessible Man-
che Chol sites of southern Belize.
The modern name means Big Hat
in the Qeqchi language, and was
chosen by Dr. Joseph Palacio be-
cause of the enormous headdress
worn by a king on Stela 14, the sec-
ond biggest ancient sculpture found
in the Maya world. We now know
that the ancient rulers of Nim li Pu-
nit called themselves the holy lords
of Kawam. Precisely what Kawam
means is unknown, but one version
of the hieroglyph looks like the
head of a large bird, perhaps a rap-
tor. To call it the Kingdom of the
Hawk or Eagle would not be far
from the truth.
There are eight carved stone monu-
ments containing hieroglyphic texts
known from Nim li Punit. Today you
can see seven at the site and in the
excellent visitors centre. The
eighth monument is in poor condi-
tion and was severely damaged by
machete blows. It is stored at the
museum but is not on display.
The hieroglyphs of Nim li Punit dis-
cuss events beginning with the leg-
endary planting of stone sculpture
perhaps as early as the sixth cen-
tury. Most of the events described
on the monuments, however, took
place between A.D. 721 and A.D.
810. But the texts themselves were
carved during
an even
briefer period
beginning no
earlier than
A.D. 731.
Thus, we have
at best a 79-
year window
on the histori-
cal events
that the kings
of Nim li Punit
chose to de-
scribe. A final
and enigmatic
monument is
Stela 3, which you can see lying in
the northwest corner of the South
Group of the site. The text here
shows a monkey face followed by a
bar and two dots, and may be read
as seven ajaw. This is the name
of the twenty-year period that began
in A.D. 830 and marked the begin-
ning of a major cycle in the Maya
calendar. It is one of the latest
carved dates in Belize, and refers to
a time after the famous Maya Col-
lapse of about A.D. 780-820. We
do not know yet know if people
were still living at Nim li Punit at this
time, or if the date was carved on
an already standing monument by a
pilgrim visiting the abandoned
town.
Several of the monuments suggest
connections with regions outside of
Toledo District. One site that is
named at Nim li Punitand also at
Pusilhahas been given the nick-
name the water scroll site. This
may be Altun Ha, in northern Belize.
Alternatively, it could be a closer
site in southern Peten, Guatemala,
where there are many other men-
tions of the water scroll site.
There are also several curious refer-
ences to Ek Xukpi lords, a title
that appears frequently at Quirigua,
a Guatemalan site not far from
Puerto Barrios. Finally, one inter-
pretation of a portion of the text on
Stela 21 (in the Nim li Punit Visitors
Centre) may refer to Copan, Hondu-
ras, but this is not at all certain.
Stela 15, also at the Visitors Cen-
tre, shows a king of Nim li Punit
scattering a liquid or seeds into an
incense burner. He is wearing a
turban made of a long, wrapped
strip of cloth in the exact style of
the kings of Copan. We do not yet
understand the political relation-
ships between Nim li Punit and
these more distant kingdoms, but it
is not far fetched to imagine that
the rulers of these places may have
intermarried and were related.
Perhaps the most curious thing
about all the carved monuments of
southern Belize is that they do not
seem to ever mention their nearest
neighbors. The rulers of Nim li Pu-
nit did not write about Pusilha, Ux-
benka, or Lubaantun.
The rulers of these other sites re-
turned the favor and also ignored
each other.
Continued on Page 10
The stelae plaza at Nim Li Punit
Another view of the plaza
9
Yum Kax Womens Group at Indian Creek
Yum Kax the Mayan corn god carved in silt
stone
Candelaria Pop grinds corn on a shaped
stone
Yum Kax is the Mayan corn god
and the name chosen by the five
members of the newest womens
co-operative in Toledo and newest
member of BTIA.
The Howler visited and met Concep-
ciona Coc, Candelaria Pop and Mer-
cedes Choc.
For visitors to their centre, about
half a mile north of the entrance to
Nim Li Punit Mayan site in Indian
Creek village, they offer both food
and crafts.
The women will give a demonstra-
tion of corn tortilla making and
teach their visitors how to do it
themselves if they want to learn.
They also demonstrate how to roast
and grind cacao and make two
kinds of cacao drink. Cacao uk in
which the cacao is simply mixed
with water and can be drunk either
hot or cold and Cacao em where
the cacao is mixed with corn to
make a very distinctive drink.
They also offer food on Mondays,
Wednesday and Fridays and can do
outside catering for organizations
such as The Yaaxche Conservation
Trust which operates in the Golden
Stream Corridor Preserve of which
Indian Creek is a part. Their menu
includes caldo with
corn tortillas, cohune
cabbage with rice, ta-
males and escabeche,
rice and beans with
chicken and that most
Mayan of dishes, chow
mein. Everything is
freshly made as it has
to be since they oper-
ate without electricity
and have no refrigera-
tion. To arrange to eat
at the womens centre
it would be best to call
ahead of time.
Their crafts include
rosewood products, slate carvings,
necklaces and bracelets and the
ubiquitous jippi jappa baskets. They
make leaf-shaped rosewood bowls,
canoes with paddles and spoon
and fork salad serving sets. They
have carvings made either from
slate or a yellow and red silt stone
including the one of Yum Kax him-
self (see picture on this page).
Necklaces and bracelets use water-
melon seeds, bamboo, coconut
shell, cedar beads and shells col-
lected on the shoreline at Placencia
or Punta Gorda.
Their location right on the highway
makes it an ideal place for tour op-
erators driving south from Placen-
cia to visit Lubaantun, Nim Li Punit
or Blue Creek. So stop by and sup-
port this new venture. The Howler
wishes them every success.
Phone: 604-0688/635-9952
Yum Kax members near the entrance on the Southern
highway
10
The flowers of palms grow from a sheath called a spathe.
Concepciona Coc holding carved and painted spathes; a
toucan on the left and Yum Kax on the right.
Leaf-shaped rosewood bowls and silt stone carvings
Bracelets and necklaces made from cedar wood beads
Nim Li Punit
Continued from Page 8

If we are going to learn about how
the different kingdoms of southern
Belize interacted and related, it will
not be from their carved monu-
ments.
Thus, hieroglyphs tell only a part of
the story. Like our own statues,
they show only what our rulers want
us to remember. Moreover, they do
not tell us anything about the life of
commoners. Finally, they were
carved and placed at Nim li Punit
during the very short periodonly
about four generationswhen the
site was ruled by divine kings. We
still know very little about life before
or after that period.
In 2010, members of the Toledo
Regional Interaction Project from
the University of California, San
Diego, began excavations at Nim li
Punit. We were fortunate to work
with an expert field crew who were
trained at the site a dozen years
ago. We are currently studying the
many thousands of pottery sherds,
chert stone tools, obsidian blades,
and other objects we excavated last
year. We hope to compare these
artifacts with those we also exca-
vated from Pusilha and Lubaantun
in order to better understand trade
and exchange among these closely
spaced kingdoms. We also hope to
find evidence of trade with more
distant polities like Quirigua, Altun
Ha, and Copan. We want to learn
about the lives of ancient common
people at Nim li Punit, and will do
so by excavating simple houses.
Finally, we want to fill in the large
gaps of history before and after the
rulers of Nim li Punit carved stone
monuments.
In this way, we hope that the an-
cient Manche Chol of Toledo District
will not be forgotten.

Contributed by Geoff Braswell, Uni-
versity of California at San Diego
11
Organic Gardening in Toledo
Sustainable Harvest International (SHI)
will be showcasing its work with Toledo
farmers at its Third Annual National
Organic Fair to be held on Friday and
Saturday, October 28
th
and 29
th
in
Punta Gordas Central Park.
Forty-five farmers from various commu-
nities around the Toledo district will be
displaying their crops that are the re-
sults of a sustainable method of plant-
ing that includes the use of dead barri-
ers (rocks and sticks) and live barriers
(pineapples) to control erosion; com-
posting; crop rotation; cover cropping
to suppress weeds and enhance soil;
making and using natural insecticides,
pesticides and fungicides to control
weeds, insects and diseases. Most of
these farmers were slash and burn,
chemical farmers, explains Candido
Chun, regional coordinator of SHI.
Now they can use the
same land over and over
again.
SHI is currently working
with 323 farmers from
across the country in a
five phase, five year pro-
gram that encompasses
theory, workshops on
developing a nursery,
introduction to micro-
credit, entrepreneurship
and monitoring.
Currently, most of the
farmers we are
working with in Toledo are still in
phase one and two of the pro-
gram, planting to sustain their
family needs, explains Yasmin
Ramirez, SHI marketing officer.
They are planting carrots, cab-
bages, and cucumbers in addition
to okra, papaya, cacao, moringa
and cilantro. There is a long wait-
ing list of farmers interested in
joining the program that also in-
cludes chicken, sheep and pig
husbandry, installation of solar
composting latrines and use of
wood conserving stoves, ovens and
biodigester. Through this program, SHI
hopes to make a positive impact on the
environment, agro-ecology, food secu-
rity, livelihood and learning capacity of
the farmers.
On Saturday, October 29
th
, at Central
Park, the public will be able to buy the
local produce and enjoy presentations
of gardening skills, cooking classes,
interviews and entertainment. On Fri-
day the 28
th
, a bus will be taking visi-
tors around to several organic farms in
the area to talk to the farmers about
their work.
SHI will be reaching out to people for
donations to cover the cost of renting
tents, marketing, and the bus for Fri-
day, explains SHI marketing officer
Nana Mensah. This is going to be a
very ambitious event and we would
appreciate all the financial support we
can get.
For more information about the Fair or
to arrange to make a donation, contact
SHI at 501-722-2010.
12
Dem Dats Doin
The Howler arrived to visit Dem Dats Doin
close to San Pedro Columbia village
carrying just a notebook, pencil and a
camera and left an hour and a half
later laden with cuttings and presents
of exotic fruit. This is typical of the gen-
erosity of spirit at Dem Dats Doin
where Yvonne and Alfredo Villoria are
eager to share their knowledge, experi-
ence and their plants and fruit with
visitors.
Yvonne and Alfredo arrived in Belize
from their home country the Philippines
via Hawaii in 1980. They settled on
twenty acres of land next to a creek
just off the road into Columbia village
(past the quarry and the mission over
the first wooden bridge and take the
first turning on the right).
One of their early projects was the pro-
duction of bio-gas using a system do-
nated by GTZ the German aid organiza-
tion based in Barbados. GTZ built three
systems in Belize; one in Corozal, an-
other at Central Farm and the third at
Dem Dats Doin. The project offered
them technical and other assistance to
establish the system to produce meth-
ane. But it wasnt quite as simple as it
sounds.
The most efficient raw
material for methane
production is pig manure
so Yvonne and Alfredo had
to learn how to raise pigs.
They lost some to vampire
bats and therefore had to
learn some veterinary
medicine along the way.
Continuous learning is
very much the ethos at
DDD. They no longer raise
pigs so the bio-gas system
lies idle but could still be
cranked up and put back
into operation.
The average tour at Dem Dats Doin will
take around an hour and
a half . It all depends on
the interest of the visitor.
They will find out if the
visitors have any particu-
lar interest and tailor
make the tour to suit
them so it might be
geared to orchids and
bromeliads or fruit trees
etc. They might also place
the focus on their self-
sufficiency initiatives us-
ing solar panels, compost-
ing toilets, collecting rain
water and the biogas sys-
tem of course.
It will always be a hands-on tour; touch-
ing, smelling and, best of all, tasting
the fruit that are in season. Yvonne will
often prepare to greet the guests with a
freshly squeezed juice from fruit in their
arboretum, or open a coconut for
guests to drink the water. She may
even prepare a fruit dessert.
If you want to visit Dem Dats Doin then
be sure to make a reservation as far in
advance as you can because they may
not be there all the time every day. Why
not? Well Yvonne and Alfredo have al-
ways had multiple interests. Once they
understood pig rearing they began
training for local villagers to do the
same. Many of those same villagers
eventually formed the core of the Maya
Homestay Pro-
gramme that they established. They
were co-founders and advisors for the
Fajina Craft Centre on Front street in
Punta Gorda and also established the
Toledo Visitors information centre on
the old wharf which was an unpaid pub-
lic service. They were also instrumen-
tal in establishing the Toledo Tour
Guides Association back in 1995. So
they may be out and about working on
a new project just as their name sug-
gests. Dem Dats Doin means those
who are getting things done in Creole.
We are sure they will be doin for a
long time to come.
As for the Howler, well, as someone
once said Ill be back.
Contact: 722-2470 or dem-
datsdoin@btl.net
Yvonne shows the biogas collection chamber
The flower and plant of turmeric or yellow gin-
ger (Curcuma longa)
Sexy Pink helicona cultivar
Coral House Inn
B ED, B R EAKF AS T AND B I C YC L ES
Step off of Main Street in Punta Gorda and
experience the intimate atmosphere of the
Coral House Inn, with spacious verandas
overlooking the Caribbean Sea.
Amenities include Swimming pool, conti-
nental breakfast, wireless internet, poolside
bar and use of bicycles.
www.coralhouseinn.net 722-2878
13
T R A N S P O R T S C H E D U L E S
Schedule of Flights from Punta Gorda To Belize City and from Belize City To Punta Gorda
Flights stop at Placencia & Dangriga
Depart Punta Gorda
Arrive In Belize
City
Service Provider Depart Belize City Arrive In Punta Gorda Service Provider
6:45am 7:45am Maya Island Air 8:00am 9:00am Maya Island Air
7:00am 8:10am Tropic Air 8:30am 9:30am Tropic Air
9:30am 10:30am Maya Island Air 10:00am 11:00am Maya Island Air
9:40am 10:50am Tropic Air 10:30am 11:30am Tropic Air
11:30am 12:30pm Maya Island Air 12:30pm 1:30pm Tropic Air
11:35am 12:40pm Tropic Air 2:30pm 3:30pm Tropic Air
1:35pm 2:45pm Tropic Air 2:30pm 3:50pm Maya Island Air
4:00pm 5:00pm Maya Island Air 4:30pm 5:30pm Maya Island Air
4:00pm 5:00pm Tropic Air 4:50am 6:00pm Tropic Air
James Bus Line Schedule
Departs P.G. Arrives Belize City Departs Belize City Arrives P.G.
03:50 10:30 05:15 Express (except Sun) 10:30
04:50 11:30 06:15 12:45
05:50 12:30 07:15 13:45
06:00 Express 10:45 08:15 14:45
07:50 14:30 09:15 15:45
09:50 16:30 10:15 16:45
11:50 18:30 12:15 18:45
13:50 20:30 13:45 19:45
14:50 21:30 15:15 21:45
15:50 (except Sat) 21:15 15:45 Express 20:30
Boats To & From Puerto Barrios , Guatemala
Service Provider Dep. Punta
Gorda
Arrive in Puerto Barrios Dep. Puerto Barrios Arrive in Punta Gorda
Requenas Charter Service 9:30am 10:30am 2:00pm 3:00pm
Pichilingo 2:00pm 3:00pm 10:00am 11L00am
Memos 1:00pm 2:00pm 3:15pm 4:15pm
Boats to Livingston depart on Tuesdays and Fridays at 10 a.m.

Marisol 4:00pm 5:00pm 1:00pm 3:00pm
THE ADDED TOUCH
SUPPLIES FOR HOTELS, RESTAURANTS & GIFT SHOPS
www.theaddedtouchbelize.com rrobin@btl.net
Great quality, Excellent Prices, Outstanding Service!
ECO-FRIENDLY AMENITIES, LIBBEY GLASSWARE, ONEIDA FLATWARE, LINENS, TOWELS,
POOL TOWELS, SUNBLOCK, BAR SUPPLIES, GUEST COMFORT ITEMS
BELIZE BOOKS, MAPS, & POSTCARDS
DISCOUNTS GIVEN TO BHA & BTIA MEMBERS
Phone:223-0054 Fax 223-1461 7155 Cleghorn Street, Belize City
14
Arzu on Genipa
Tel: 501-702-0113/Cell: 607-0033
email: dreamlightpg@yahoo.com
www.pgbelize.com
7 Main Street (Corner North & Main)
Punta Gorda Town, Toledo District
Hours:
Monday-Saturday 7:30 am-9:00 pm
Sundays: 9-3
Dr eamLi ght Di sc ount I nt er net & Comput er Repai r Cent er
Check out this new Website
that provides you with
information on all the
businesses and services
available to you in
Punta Gorda Town, Toledo.
High Speed Internet, Wireless, Printing, Cell
Phone & Camera Accessories, Internet Phone,
Rentals, Movies, Souvenirs, and a complete line
of computer hardware, software, repairs,
Genipa Americana is the given
name of one of Belizes most sus-
tainable alternatives to nutritional
supplements. The fruit of the
Genipa is a unique complex vitamin
that literally grows on trees. Its
trumpet-like five petalled flowers
are yellow-white, faintly fragrant,
and bisexual in nature. When in
season, from September to April,
the mature Genipa produces large
berry like fruits that resemble soft
yellow brown leathery skinned gua-
vas; only they taste more like dried
apples when eaten. Genipa trees
begin to fruit after they are about
six years old and the fruits take a
full year to mature. A 15 year old
tree can provide up to 600 fruit in
just one season. The mature fruits
fall straight to the ground ready to
eat, and well protected from bruis-
ing by their leathery hide.
Each fruit weighs between 200 -
400 grams and is jam packed with
nutriments. Each fruit contains
about 10 grams of protein, 6 grams
of iron, over 60 grams of ascorbic
acid, 80 grams of calcium, B vita-
mins including B2, and other nutri-
tional elements too numerous to
mention. Each Genipa fruit is a
natural plant based source of pro-
tein, iron, ri-
boflavin, and
anti-bacterial
substances.
In addition,
the fruit pulp
alone can be
applied to the
skin to work
as an insect
repellent.
The tree itself
is small to
medium
sized, grow-
ing anywhere
from 8 to 30
meters in height, and flowers from
May to September. Genipa is native
to moist areas
very much like the
rainforest in
southern Belize.
This tree is most
happy in parts of
the rain forest
which lie next to
rivers as well as
areas that flood
annually for sev-
eral months. This
tree begs to be
propagated; there
are about 300
seeds inside the
fruit that can be
easily planted, it
requires little maintenance, loves
flooding, and can tolerate dry peri-
ods for up to six months.
Unfortunately, Genipa is more
sought after for good looks and
nothing more. People in different
parts of the world use this tree for
only shade and ornamental value.
But the Genipa takes no offense
and remains the tree that keeps on
giving. It makes a great fence for
grazing areas as it also provides
nutritional food for cattle and live-
stock. Livestock thrive on its fruits
and leaves; cattle eat the leaves,
and domestic animals eat the fruit.
Its flowers yield nectar for pollina-
tors and honeybees. It can be inter-
planted with temporary crops like
cassava or cotton to provide shade
for the young trees. Genipap sap-
lings make great firewood, and its
timber is excellent for carvings,
wood works, and fence posts. A
dark blue dye used in food coloring
is made from the green fruits. In-
digenous peoples of the Amazon,
South America, and the Caribbean
have long used the dye of the
Genipa fruit for body painting, tat-
tooing, coloring fabrics, hammocks,
and basket materials. The body
paint and temporary tattoos made
from the fruit can last up to twenty
days. The indigenous people of Guy-
ana continue to use the fruit as fish
bait because it keeps the fish bit-
ing. The Genipa is unsurpassed
when it comes to giving; even the
heavy fall of the leaves help to
transform and enrich the soil of its
immediate environment.
If you wish to see a Genipa tree in
person, visit the Lodge at Big Falls
in Toledo.
Contributed by Ana Arzu
Contact 600-3873 or
arzu@arzumounatinspirit.com
Leaves and fruit of genipa americana
Cross section of a fruit of jennypap
15
Southern Voices
Leonie Requena
Leonie Requena and her husband Julio have run the Water
Taxi Service from Punta Gorda since 1995. In June 2011 her
services to tourism over many years was recognized by the
Belize Tourism Board when she was awarded the Lifetime
Achievement Award for her work.
Can you tell us about your family history in Toledo?
My family were originally from Belize City where I was born
but we moved to Punta Gorda in 1956 when I was a young
girl at primary school age. We also spent just under a year in
Seine Bight village before moving further south to PG. We
had a fright in Seine Bight when we heard that hurricane
Janet (1955) was heading towards Placencia and my father
had already left to go fishing and we had no way of contact-
ing him. It turned out all right for us in the end because Janet
drifted north where Corozal and the surrounding villages
were badly damaged. My father had also decided that some-
thing was wrong and had decided not to go out to sea; in fact
he could not go out because as he tried to take his boat from
the lagoon side to the open water the currents were so
strong that he simply could not leave. We sheltered at the
school but in those days the school had a thatched roof so
was not really a hurricane shelter at all.
What are the most important changes that you have seen in
Toledo in your lifetime?
Well, the main one is simply the growth that has taken place.
In 1956 Punta Gorda had one unpaved street which is now
Front Street. The last house at the north end of PG was the
one just before the Seafront Inn today. There was no mains
water and we took a wooden trolley and filled up our contain-
ers at a well near where the Toledo Community College
stands today.
Before we began our water taxi services there were two Gua-
temalan ferries that could hold around one hundred foot pas-
sengers and crossed three times a week taking a couple of
hours. We began filling in the days in between and as we did
that the Guatemalans stopped their service. Other Belizean
boats have come and gone but we have offered an uninter-
rupted service to Puerto Barrios since 1995.
How can we improve tourism in Toledo?
Well, we need to be far more welcoming at all the ports of
entry and the tourists need more information about what is
available here in Toledo. We are still lagging behind other
parts of the country and too many visitors who land at the
port in PG pass straight on out of Toledo by bus or plane.
What could PG Town Council do to support tourism?
Keep PG much cleaner and fix the potholes permanently
rather than filling them in with sand and dirt that gets
washed away in the first rain that follows. Then offer promo-
tion and sponsorship for local artists and musicians who
spend a lifetime working for their art and country but often
end up paupers.
Reef or Rainforest, Leonie?
Reef. Definitely the sea. I am afraid of snakes and other
things out thereI am not much of a bush person. My father
and husband were both fishermen and we have always lived
in front of the sea.
If a tourist has time to visit just one place in Toledo, where
would you suggest?
The rainforest. Despite what I just said. There are cayes and
beaches elsewhere but the cacao trails, the forest trees and
plants and the culture and traditions of the indigenous peo-
ple are unique.
What is your favourite season of the year?
The dry season which includes the Christmas and Easter
times.
What is your favourite Belizean food?
Oh, that is a really difficult question. I like them all and cook
them all. I even cook hudut which is a Garifuna dish. We
cook Spanish and east Indian and Creole food. We make
tamales for Christmas and other special occasions. We call
them Tamales Chapin (Guatemalan Tamales). They have lots
of spices, roasted and ground squash seeds and sesame
seeds, different kinds of pepper, onions and garlic that are
all blended together. When we cook them we do it in bulk a
couple of hundred at a time and eat them for breakfast or as
snacks.
Red beans or black beans?
Black. We dont like red beans but black beans with onion
and garlic and a few other ingredients are good and we like
refried black beans.
Well thanks for your time, Leonie.
You are welcome, Howler.
Where to get your copy of The Toledo
Howler
BTIA Tourist Information Center, Front St in Punta Gorda
Tropic Air and Maya Island Air terminals throughout Belize
Business premises of BTIA members in Toledo (see list
page 7).
Tropic Air office in Puerto Barrios, Guatemala.
Requenas Charters office in Puerto Barrios, Guatemala.
Placencia Tourist information Center, Placencia Village
Gas stations on Southern and Western Highway
Online at: www.belizefirst.com;
www.ecoclub.com;
www.ambergriscaye.com
www.expatbelize.com
www.thelodgeatbigfalls.com
www.tidetours.org
www.guidetobelize.info/howler
Happy Independence
Day!

30 years and getting
better all the time!
From the Toledo Chapter
of the Belize Tourism
Industry Association
16
T O L E D O D I S T R I C T
Classified Ads
Acupuncturist US certified, oriental diagnosis, pain problems, tune-up
stress. Classical Guitar- Private lessons ( Guitar Rental )
Tai Chi Club Starting Ted Berlin- 660-0740 Hopeville, Toledo
Emergency Numbers
PG Police station: 722-2022
PG Hospital: 722-2026 / 722-2161 / 722-2145
PG Fire Department: 722-2032
National Emergencies (NEMO): 822-0153
Belize Tourism Board: 227-2420 / 227-2417
BTIA Main Office Belize City: 227-1144
Rotary Club of Punta Gorda Motto Service Above Self We extend an
invitation to visit us at our meetings at Graces Restaurant on Thurs-
day mornings at 7:00am. We are aiming to assist our community in
all ways possible. Welcome.
PG Library Lecture Series:
A unique way to get to know Belize

The Punta Gorda Library Lecture Committee is pre-
senting a second five session series for the 2011-
2012 season with topics ranging from ancient Mayan
history to contemporary political controversies that
will appeal to a broad array of PGs inhabitants and
visitors. Several of the events have been structured
to advance inter-cultural dialogue and understanding.
The list of events is as follows:
September- Is the Past Present? Belize at 30, a
panel discussion of social issues facing Belize
before and after independence led by Wil
Maheia and including Charles Martinez and Hec-
tor Silva
November Our Spiritual Mythology: Ancestor Wor-
ship in Garifuna Life with Ana Arzu
January The Crystal Skull and the History of the Skull
Cults with Daryl Caps
March A History of Land Tenure in Belize: Setting the
stage for the struggle for land ownership in 2011
with Professor Richard Wilk of Indiana University.
May Remembering our Past and Understanding our
Present: An evening with our elders
Check with the PG Library on Front Street for dates
and times or call 702-2271.